Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FkRp2oZTg
The child is grown, and puts away childish things.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8oKMhmTyY
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.
Nobody that matters, that is. Distant relatives of course605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8bYNjcCV8
Die, whom one never has seen or has seen for an hour,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSywCtqUf1Z
And they gave one candy in a pink-and-green stripéd bag, or a jack-knife,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmj9XHlv93a
And went away, and cannot really be said to have lived at all.
And cats die. They lie on the floor and lash their tails,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOpRlc68aB
And their reticent fur is suddenly all in motion605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OMPniLm11
With fleas that one never knew were there,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOoI5RFraVq
Polished and brown, knowing all there is to know,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxun73XKevV
Trekking off into the living world.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmW3Z5001Q
You fetch a shoe-box, but it's much too small, because she won't curl up now:605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ZkCXH2rxW
So you find a bigger box, and bury her in the yard, and weep.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJzvK9HM8x
But you do not wake up a month from then, two months605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDnxMEa94fC
A year from then, two years, in the middle of the night605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow7r7bKbP5
And weep, with your knuckles in your mouth, and say Oh, God! Oh, God!605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDeKmtox0Pa
Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies that matters,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYm3vOzP4Wu
—mothers and fathers don't die.
And if you have said, "For heaven's sake, must you always be kissing a person?"605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUUdK0iziI
Or, "I do wish to gracious you'd stop tapping on the window with your thimble!"605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFUzuaoZfZp
Tomorrow, or even the day after tomorrow if you're busy having fun,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWBoe6Jhzl
Is plenty of time to say, "I'm sorry, mother."
To be grown up is to sit at the table with people who have died,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJvezhTAFbO
who neither listen nor speak;605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy4HVUJsJPL
Who do not drink their tea, though they always said605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW6s4rzYk3W
Tea was such a comfort.
Run down into the cellar and bring up the last jar of raspberries;605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWqNnzaane
they are not tempted.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRz0JhF4tx3
Flatter them, ask them what was it they said exactly605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZB1kq4vZME
That time, to the bishop, or to the overseer, or to Mrs. Mason;605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzAW6Mhbuli
They are not taken in.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnhSTtmdWK
Shout at them, get red in the face, rise,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2H9pTjopNC
Drag them up out of their chairs by their stiff shoulders and shake605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvUJr1WxYsk
them and yell at them;605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNfQMmPxlkI
They are not startled, they are not even embarrassed; they slide605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYCgE70H4bk
back into their chairs.
Your tea is cold now.605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNV70SF7wvG
You drink it standing up,605Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7wMEmNiZN
And leave the house.
